Aerosol applicators



Feb. 7,, 1967 R. M. ALSOP 3,302,834?

AEROSOL APPLICATORS Filed Aug 5, 1,965

INVENTOR RANULPH M. ALSOP ATTORNEYS United States Patent C M 3,302,834 AEROSOL APPLICATORS Ranulph Michael Alsop, Alderley Edge, England, assignor to Fisons Pharmaceuticals Limited, Loughborough, England Filed Aug. 5, 1965, Ser. No. 477,410 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Aug. 11, 1964, 32,762/ 64 5 Claims. (Cl. 222-162) the medicament in a propellant under pressure in a container which ejects a fine spray or aerosol" of the medicament. Currently it has been found more convenient to use the latter method and generally the medicament is contained in a small container together with the propellant, and a mouthpiece is fitted on to the container, part of which may be placed in or over the mouth of the patient such that release of the aerosol valve results in a spray of medicament being directed into the mouth of the patient.

The mouthpiece normally actuates the medicament release by pressure on the aerosol valve. Usually the aerosol container is provided with a tubular spring loaded outlet; pressure on the outlet results in ejection of the contents through the outlet. The mouthpiece fits over the aerosol container outlet, the outlet communicating with a channel and nozzle adapted to produce a spray through an orally acceptable mouthpiece, such that compression of the mouthpiece \actuates the aerosol release valve. In accordance with conventional arrangements the aerosol container is adapted to deliver a metered dose on each release.

The patient attempts to take a deep breath and during the inspiration to actuate the aerosol valve in order to provide a dose of the medicament. However two problems arise; firstly it is difficult to carry out the actuation at the same time as inspiring deeply since the two actions are difiicult to synchronise; secondly, the part of the inspiration into which the dose of medicament is injected by the aerosol is not controlled. For example, if the dose is released near the end of the inspiration the medicament may only be sucked into the mouth and trachea, whereas it is desirable with these medicaments to allow the medicament to penetrate deep into the lung to the terminal bronchioles. This can be attained by injection of the dose near the beginning of the inspiration and washing the medicament deep into the lungs with more air.

It has now been found that this problem may be overcome by constructing the mouthpiece such that inspirauntil the medicament is released.

3,302,834 Patented Feb. 7, 1967 According to the invention, therefore, there is provided a pressurised aerosol dispenser for administering a medicament by inhalation which comprises an aerosol container, provided with an aerosol release valve operated by a spring loaded stem, mounted in a tubular housing having at one end thereof a delivery tube provided with spray means engaging with said stem and adapted to deliver a spray along the length of said delivery tube and having at the other end thereof manually operated means engaging with the end of said container for urging said container towards said spray means, the tubular housing also being provided with air inlet means and the whole device being so constructed and arranged that air may only be inhaled when the container is in that position relative to the delivery tube at which the aerosol valve is operated.

The device may be constructed in a number of ways in order to achieve the desired synchrony of inhalation and aerosol release.

Thus, according to one embodiment of the invention the aerosol container is provided with a recess in the side thereof, preferably extending around a circumference of the container, and the tubular housing is provided with a constriction, the engagement between the constriction and the outside of the aerosol container being substantially airtight in all relative positions of the tube and container except that position where the constriction is in alignment with the recess in the side of the container at which position a gap is created through which air may pass to the delivery tube and at which position the aerosol release valve is operated.

According to another embodiment of the invention the manually operated means and air inlet means are so arranged that the air inlet means is closed by the manually operated means except at that position of the manually operated means, and hence of the container, at which the aerosol release valve is operated. This may be achieved for example by constructing the manually operated means with longitudinal grooves, the manually operated means engaging with the end wall of the housing so that the engagement is substantially airtight except at that position at which the longitudinal grooves connect the interior of the device to the outside atmosphere and at which position the aerosol release valve is operated. Alternatively the manually operated means may be so constructed that it forms an airtight engagement with the end wall of the tubular housing except when the aerosol container is in such a position that the aerosol release valve is operated.

These arrangements overcome the problems noted above. The patient first breathes out deeply and then applies the pressurised aerosol dispenser to the mouth and commences to take a deep inspiration. At first all he is able to do is to suck and produce a partial vacuum in the mouthpiece. He then presses the manual operating means to actuate the aerosol valve and this operation releases a dose of medicament and at the same time allows air to flow through the gap created between the delivery tube and the container into the mouthpiece.

The building up of the inspirat-ory effect against a vac uum encourages a deep inspiration and also in this case the medicament is released at the beginning of the inspiration.

The loss of breath when sucking against the vacuum provides the incentive for actuating the aerosol valve and thus providing synchrony of release of dose and inspiration.

In one form of pressurised aerosol the container is operated in the inverted position so immersing the valve in the liquid aerosol. On operating the valve the pressure inside the container causes the contents to be discharged through the valve in the form of a fine spray or aerosol.

In order that the invention may be well understood two preferred embodiments thereof will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURES 1 and 2 are part sectional vertical views of one device according to the invention, FIGURE 1 showing the device in the closed position and FIGURE 2 showing the device in the operating position;

FIGURE 3 is a part sectional vertical view of another device according to the invention in the closed position; and

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged sectional view along the line A-A in FIGURE 3.

Referring now to the drawings an aerosol dispensing device comprises an aerosol can 1 having an aerosol release valve operated by a spring loaded stem 2, mounted in a tubular housing 3 having at one end thereof a delivery tube or mouthpiece 4 and at the other end thereof engaging with the end of can 1 and passing through end Wall 5 of housing 3, push button 6. Integral with delivery tube 4 is a projection 7 having bore 8 engaging with stem 2. Bore 8 is connected via passage 9 to jet 10.

Referring now to FIGURES 1 and 2 the inner wall of housing 3 is provided with circumferential projection 11 which engages with the outside of can 1 to form a substantially airtight seal (FIGURE 1). Can 1 is provided with circumferential recess 12 which when the device is in the operative position (FIGURE 2) is so positioned relative to projection 11 as to permit airflow through the device. Tubular housing 3 has air holes 15, below constriction 11, so that air may be inhaled through the device.

In operation the user places mouthpiece 4 in the mouth and sucks. Due to the airtight seal between projection 11 and the outside of can 1 a partial vacuum is built up. The user then presses push button 6. Can 1 is moved towards projection 7 until recess 11 is in register with projection 12 at which point air can be inhaled through the device and stem 2 is compressed so that medicament is discharged through bore 8, passage 9 and jet and is inhaled with the air passing through the device.

If the aerosol can is one designed to deliver medicament in an inverted position, then the device is used in a position inverted to that shown in the drawings.

Referring now to FIGURES 3 and 4 push button 6 is provided with longitudinal grooves 13 which when can 1 has been moved far enough towards projection 7 to operate the release valve connect the inside of the device to the atmosphere and thus permit air to be inhaled through the device. In all other positions of button 6, button 6 and wall 5 engage to form a substantially airtight seal.

1 claim:

1. A pressurized aerosol dispenser for administering a medicament by inhalation, said dispenser comprising an aerosol container having an aerosol release valve and a spring loaded stern for operating said valve, a tubular housing in which said aerosol container is mounted, said housing having a delivery tube extending from one end of said tubular housing and having a free end, said free end having a shape which is adapted to be received in the mouth of a patient in substantially air tight engagement, spray means in said delivery tube engaged with said stern and having means for directing a spray of aerosol along the length of the delivery tube, manually operated means in the other end of said housing engaging with the end of said container for urging said container toward said spray means, and valve means forming part of said dispenser and operable only when said container is moved toward said spray means by said manually operated means for admitting air into the end of said delivery tube adjacent said container, whereby when a patient places the f ee end of the delivery tube in his mouth he can inhale a sprayed material only when the manually operated means is actuated to move the container toward the spray means to dispense a spray through the aerosol release valve and at the same time air is admitted into the end of the delivery tube adjacent the container.

2. A pressurized aerosol dispenser for administering a medicament by inhalation, said dispenser comprising an aerosol container having an aerosol release valve and a spring loaded stern for operating said valve, a tubular housing in which said aerosol container is mounted, said housing having a delivery tube extending from one end of said tubular housing and having a free end, said free end having a shape which is adapted to be received in the mouth of a patient in substantially air tight engagement, spray means in said delivery tube engaged with said stem and having means for directing a spray of aerosol along the length of the delivery tube, manually operated means in the other end of said housing engaging with the end of said container for urging said container toward said spray means, said manually operated means including valve means for admitting air into the said other end of the housing, said container being slightly smaller in cross sectional area than the interior cross sectional area of the housing, whereby when a patient places the free end of the delivery tube in his mouth he can inhale a sprayed material only when the manually operated means is actuated to move the container toward the spray means to dispense a spray through the aerosol release valve and at the same time air is admitted into the said other end of the housing and flows along the container and into the end of the delivery tube adjacent the container.

3. A dispenser as claimed in claim 2 in which said manually operated means comprises a stem, said other end of said housing having an aperture through which said stern extends, said stem having a cross sectional area which varies along the length of the stem, the cross sectional area at at least the point along the length of the stem which is in said aperture in the dispensing position thereof being less than the cross sectional area of the aperture, and an enlarged member on the stern within said housing and engageable with the housing on the nondispensing position of the stem to close said aperture air tightly, said stem and aperture cooperating to form said valve means.

4. A dispenser as claimed in claim 3 in which said stem has longitudinal grooves therein in that portion of the stem which is in said aperture when said stem is in the dispensing position.

5. A pressurized aerosol dispenser for administering a medicament by inhalation, said dispenser comprising an aerosol container having an aerosol release valve and a spring loaded stem for operating said valve, a tubular housing in which said aerosol container is mounted, said housing having a delivery tube extending from one end of said tubular housing and having a free end said free end having a shape which is adapted to be received in the mouth of a patient in substantially air tight engagement, spray means in said delivery tube engaged with said stem and having means for directing a spray of aerosol along the length of the delivery tube, manually operated means in the other end of said housing engaging with the end of said container for urging said container toward said spray means, said container having a recess in the side thereof, and said tubular housing having a constriction therein adjacent said recess, the said constriction being in substantially airtight sliding engagement with said container in all relative positions of said housing and contaner except Where the constriction is in alignment With said recess, said aligned position being the position at which said aerosol valve is operated by said spray means, and said housing having an aperture therein on the other side of said constriction for said one end, whereby when a patient places the free end of the delivery tube in his month he can inhale a sprayed material only when the manually operated means is actuated to move the container toward the spray means to dispense a spray through the aerosol release valve and at the same time air is admitted past said constriction and recess into the end of the delivery tube adjacent the container.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Zublin 222162 X Ryan 222-162 Meshberg 222162 Mahon et al 222-162 X Darvie 222162 X 

1. A PRESSURIZED AEROSOL DISPENSER FOR ADMINISTERING A MEDICAMENT BY INHALATION, SAID DISPENSER COMPRISING AN AEROSOL CONTAINER HAVING AN AEROSOL RELEASE VALVE AND A SPRING LOADED STEM FOR OPERATING SAID VALVE, A TUBULAR HOUSING IN WHICH SAID AEROSOL CONTAINER IS MOUNTED, SAID HOUSING HAVING A DELIVERY TUBE EXTENDING FROM ONE END OF SAID TUBULAR HOUSING AND HAVING A FREE END, SAID FREE END HAVING A SHAPE WHICH IS ADAPTED TO BE RECEIVED IN THE MOUTH OF A PATIENT IN SUBSTANTIALLY AIR TIGHT ENGAGEMENT, SPRAY MEANS IN SAID DELIVERY TUBE ENGAGED WITH SAID STEM AND HAVING MEANS FOR DIRECTING A SPRAY OF AEROSOL ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE DELIVERY TUBE, MANUALLY OPERATED MEANS IN THE OTHER END OF SAID HOUSING ENGAGING WITH THE END OF SAID CONTAINER FOR URGING SAID CONTAINER TOWARD SAID SPRAY MEANS, AND VALVE MEANS FORMING PART OF SAID DISPENSER AND OPERABLE ONLY WHEN SAID CONTAINER IS MOVED TOWARD SAID SPRAY MEANS BY SAID MANUALLY OPERATED MEANS FOR ADMITTING AIR INTO THE END OF SAID DELIVERY TUBE ADJACENT SAID CONTAINER, WHEREBY WHEN A PATIENT PLACES THE FREE END OF THE DELIVERY TUBE IN HIS MOUTH HE CAN INHALE A SPRAYED MATERIAL ONLY WHEN THE MANUALLY OPERATED MEANS IS ACTUATED TO MOVE THE CONTAINER TOWARD THE SPRAY MEANS TO DISPENSE A SPRAY THROUGH THE AEROSOL RELEASE VALVE AND AT THE SAME TIME AIR IS ADMITTED INTO THE END OF THE DELIVERY TUBE ADJACENT THE CONTAINER. 